Georgia Business Startup Guides

Opening a Business in Macon, Georgia

Contemplating starting a business in Macon, Georgia? We walk you through the process of opening a business in Macon.

What Type of Business Should You Start?

There are many businesses that you can start. How do you know which type of business is right for you? If you are struggling with what type of business to start, read How to Evaluate a Business Idea.

If you still are not sure what type of business to start, peruse the Good Businesses to Start section of our site. For example, you might be interested in our How to Start a Petroleum Consultants Business guide or our Starting a Silicones & Silicone Products Business guide.

Always keep in mind that your new startup will be located in Macon. Some businesses will do better in Macon than others. Don't forget to review Macon demographics to see if there's a market for what you want to sell.

Macon, Georgia Demographic Information

Macon has an active business community that includes small businesses, mid-sized businesses and large businesses.

To give you a better feel for Macon demographics for small businesses, we have tabulated the small business sizes, based on number of employees, for business in Macon.

Business Size
# of
Businesses
1-4 Employees
31825
5-9 Employees
14700
10-19 Employees
10185
20-49 Employees
7305
50-99 Employees
2130
100-249 Employees
1185
250-499 Employees
330
500-999 Employees
75
1000+ Employees
75
All Macon Businesses
67810

As a new Macon entrepreneur, you may also be interested in the table below. It shows how many businesses there are in Macon for each business category. By looking at this chart, you can get a general sense for how much competition there is in the business niche that you are pursuing.

Business Type
# of
Businesses
Ambulance Services
1
Amusement Arcades
1
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
1
Appliance Repair and Maintenance
7
Apprenticeship Training
1
Architectural Services
19
Armored Car Services
1
Automobile Driving Schools
2
Automotive Exhaust System Repair
5
Automotive Glass Replacement Shops
8
Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
31
Automotive Transmission Repair
6
Baked Goods Stores
2
Barber Shops
1
Beer and Ale Merchant Wholesalers
3
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores
20
Blind and Shade Manufacturing
1
Blood and Organ Banks
1
Book Stores
8
Bowling Centers
1
Broadwoven Fabric Mills
1
Business Associations
9
Business to Business Electronic Markets
1
Cable and Other Program Distribution
3
Cafeterias
11
Camera and Photographic Supplies Stores
3
Canvas and Related Product Mills
1
Car Washes
2
Caterers
3
Cemeteries and Crematories
6
Charter Bus Industry
1
Child and Youth Services
2
Child Day Care Services
48
Children's and Infants' Clothing Stores
7
Cigarette Manufacturing
1
Claims Adjusting
8
Clothing Accessories Stores
6
Coffee and Tea Manufacturing
1
Coin-Operated Laundries and Drycleaners
4
Collection Agencies
5
Commercial Bakeries
2
Commercial Lithographic Printing
8
Commercial Screen Printing
3
Community Food Services
3
Computer and Software Stores
8
Computer Systems Design Services
16
Computer Training
1
Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing
2
Confectionery and Nut Stores
1
Construction Sand and Gravel Mining
1
Consumer Lending
31
Continuing Care Retirement Communities
6
Convenience Stores
26
Convention and Trade Show Organizers
2
Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing
1
Cosmetology and Barber Schools
1
Court Reporting and Stenotype Services
5
Credit Unions
19
Curtain and Drapery Mills
1
Custom Computer Programming Services
15
Dental Laboratories
10
Diagnostic Imaging Centers
3
Diet and Weight Reducing Centers
2
Dimension Stone Mining and Quarrying
1
Direct Life Insurance Carriers
15
Direct Mail Advertising
1
Directory and Mailing List Publishers
2
Discount Department Stores
3
Display Advertising
3
Document Preparation Services
5
Drywall and Insulation Contractors
7
Educational Support Services
2
Electric Power Distribution
10
Electrical Contractors
50
Electronic Shopping
4
Elementary and Secondary Schools
8
Emergency and Other Relief Services
3
Engineering Services
30
Environmental Consulting Services
2
Exam Preparation and Tutoring
1
Exterminating and Pest Control Services
7
Family Clothing Stores
27
Farm Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
2
Fine Arts Schools
4
Fish and Seafood Markets
3
Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
15
Flight Training
1
Floor Covering Stores
9
Flooring Contractors
3
Florists
6
Flour Milling
1
Food Product Machinery Manufacturing
1
Food Service Contractors
14
Footwear and Leather Goods Repair
1
Formal Wear and Costume Rental
2
Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation
1
Framing Contractors
4
Freight Transportation Arrangement
3
Full-Service Restaurants
118
Funeral Homes and Funeral Services
9
Furniture Merchant Wholesalers
3
Furniture Stores
23
General Automotive Repair
42
General Freight Trucking, Local
11
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
4
General Warehousing and Storage
12
Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
16
Glass and Glazing Contractors
2
Golf Courses and Country Clubs
5
Grantmaking Foundations
5
Graphic Design Services
3
Hardware Merchant Wholesalers
3
Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal
1
Historical Sites
1
HMO Medical Centers
1
Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores
8
Home Centers
3
Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
2
Home Health Care Services
19
Homes for the Elderly
9
Household Appliance Stores
8
Human Rights Organizations
1
Ice Manufacturing
1
Industrial Building Construction
1
Industrial Design Services
2
Industrial Launderers
4
Interior Design Services
5
Internet Service Providers
2
Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation
1
Investment Advice
10
Janitorial Services
28
Jewelry Stores
28
Kaolin and Ball Clay Mining
2
Land Subdivision
6
Landscape Architectural Services
3
Landscaping Services
33
Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
5
Limited-Service Restaurants
136
Linen Supply
1
Local Messengers and Local Delivery
5
Logging
1
Luggage and Leather Goods Stores
1
Machine Shops
11
Mail-Order Houses
3
Manifold Business Forms Printing
1
Manufactured (Mobile) Home Dealers
1
Marketing Consulting Services
5
Mattress Manufacturing
1
Meat Markets
3
Medical Laboratories
3
Men's Clothing Stores
13
Metal Window and Door Manufacturing
2
Mineral Wool Manufacturing
1
Miscellaneous Intermediation
2
Motion Picture and Video Production
1
Motor Vehicle Towing
5
Motorcycle Dealers
4
Museums
2
Musical Groups and Artists
2
Musical Instrument and Supplies Stores
3
Nail Salons
4
New Car Dealers
19
New Housing Operative Builders
2
News Dealers and Newsstands
2
Newspaper Publishers
3
Nonresidential Property Managers
4
Nonwoven Fabric Mills
1
Nursing Care Facilities
18
Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
11
Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
8
Offices of Bank Holding Companies
1
Offices of Certified Public Accountants
42
Offices of Chiropractors
16
Offices of Dentists
71
Offices of Lawyers
134
Offices of Other Holding Companies
8
Offices of Podiatrists
7
Offices of Real Estate Appraisers
10
Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing
1
Optical Goods Stores
16
Outdoor Power Equipment Stores
2
Paging
3
Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
9
Paperboard Mills
1
Parking Lots and Garages
1
Passenger Car Rental
7
Payroll Services
2
Periodical Publishers
4
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
7
Petroleum Bulk Stations and Terminals
5
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
31
Photography Studios, Portrait
12
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas
1
Plate Work Manufacturing
1
Political Organizations
2
Portfolio Management
3
Prepress Services
1
Private Mail Centers
2
Professional Employer Organizations
1
Professional Organizations
5
Public Relations Agencies
1
Quick Printing
6
Radio Stations
12
Real Estate Credit
17
Real Estate Investment Trusts
2
Recreational Vehicle Dealers
1
Refrigerated Warehousing and Storage
2
Remediation Services
1
Repossession Services
1
Residential Property Managers
20
Retail Bakeries
3
Reupholstery and Furniture Repair
5
Roofing Contractors
10
Rooming and Boarding Houses
1
Sales Financing
6
Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing
1
Satellite Telecommunications
1
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation
1
Secondary Market Financing
1
Securities Brokerage
19
Security Guards and Patrol Services
3
Septic Tank and Related Services
2
Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing
3
Shoe Stores
24
Sign Manufacturing
3
Site Preparation Contractors
6
Small Arms Ammunition Manufacturing
1
Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars
8
Software Publishers
1
Solid Waste Collection
3
Solid Waste Landfill
2
Sporting Goods Stores
14
Sports and Recreation Instruction
10
Sports Teams and Clubs
2
Support Activities for Forestry
7
Surface-Coated Paperboard Manufacturing
1
Tax Preparation Services
18
Taxi Service
2
Telephone Answering Services
1
Television Broadcasting
4
Temporary Help Services
27
Temporary Shelters
1
Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters
3
Tile and Terrazzo Contractors
5
Timber Tract Operations
1
Tire Dealers
30
Tire Retreading
1
Title Abstract and Settlement Offices
7
Tobacco Stores
3
Tour Operators
1
Travel Agencies
2
Used Car Dealers
17
Used Merchandise Stores
9
Vending Machine Operators
6
Veterinary Services
17
Video Tape and Disc Rental
11
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
4
Voluntary Health Organizations
4
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
3
Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers
24
Window Treatment Stores
2
Wired Telecommunications Carriers
12
Women's Clothing Stores
40
Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing
3
Yarn Spinning Mills
1

What About Franchising Opportunities?

As you drive around Macon, you'll notice that many local entrepreneurs have gone the franchising route. Is franchising maybe a better way for you to start your business?

Our advice is to investigate buying a franchise. This site has dozens of articles on franchising, such as Franchising Pros and Cons. Become a franchising expert of sorts by reading more of our Articles on Franchising.

You can review hundreds of franchise opportunities by browing our Franchise Directory.

Sample franchise opportunities include Enopi and JumpBunch, Inc.. Alternatively, you can browse franchise categories, such as Cartridge Recycling Franchises and Child Entertainment Franchises.

Note on Macon Franchise Opportunities: You will need to contact franchisors directly to see if their franchises are available in Macon.

What About Buying an Existing Macon Business?

We've created a handy website page for those who want to Buy a Business in Georgia. Follow that link and you may find several good businesses for sale in Macon.

For anybody who wants to buy a business, we recommend reading this useful article: Buying a Business.

Forming a Company in Macon, Georgia

A critical step is ensuring that you choose the right legal structure for your new entity. Doing so will separate you from personal liability for business debts and obligations.

The entity you form can be a traditional C-corporation, a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or an S-corporation.

Incorporating is a very popular way to form a business. A key decision is whether to form and S-Corp or a C-Corp, and you also must decide in which state you will incorporate. If you are starting a business in Georgia, you don't necessarily have to incorporate in Georgia. As it turns out, you are allowed to incorporate in any state you would like to. However, if you do incorporate in another state, you'll have to register as a foreign corporation in your home state.

There are many nuances to forming a company. We recommend you read some of the educational articles about company formation that are availabe on our site, such as Offshore Company Formation. You may also want to seek the advice of an lawyer. Finally, if you are starting a business in Macon, Georgia, our information on Incorporating in Georgia may be a useful resource if you decide to incorporate in Georgia.

Do You Need a Business Plan?

A business plan is vital in maximizing the prospects of your new company. In effect, your business plan is your game plan for how you hope to grow your business. Not having a business plan is a recipe for disaster.

If you want more information on writing business plans, we recommend reading Business Plan Contests. You can also get free counseling sessions provided by your local SCORE chapter in Georgia.

Next Steps

You have a dream -- starting a business in Macon. To achieve your dream, you have to persevere, even when the odds are against you.

Owning your own business will be a daunting task, but you can do it.

We are here to help Macon businesses to be successful. We believe entrepreneurship is an amazing engine for job creation in Macon, neighborhood development and overall economic health.

More Entrepreneurial Resources for Starting a Business in Macon, Georgia

Here are more links that we believe will help you be successful in starting a business in Macon.

Starting-a-Business Guides for Other Cities in Georgia

Starting a Business in Louisville
Starting a Business in Madison

Browse All Business Startup Guides for Georgia
Starting a Business Guides for Other States

 

 

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